Buzz by the Bay • The Legendary STABLES Lounge & Nightclub Reopens

One of the bigger gifts guaranteed to brighten the nightlife scene across the Great Lakes Bay region this holiday season is the re-opening of the legendary Stables Lounge & Nightclub, which witnessed its official Grand Opening on November 21^st and will thankfully be providing a fresh outlet for live entertainment to grace the newly constructed stage and fill the dancefloor of this impressively renovated and treasured cultural resource.

As part of the Liberty Harbor Event Center complex, the father and son team of Dan & Garrett Whaley have busily spent the last year renovating this beloved and legendary nightspot, which initially was developed by the late great Art Dore to serve as what was truly one of the region’s most iconic nightclubs and cigar bars, featuring a set of six horse stables uniquely renovated into different periods of European design for patrons to smoke cigars, drink cocktails, and enjoy a varied array of live musical entertainment.

Upon touring this stunning oasis of a venue in advance of its Grand Opening, the most obvious improvement is the construction of a sizable band stage replete with a stage-of-the-art sound system, impressively expanded dance floor and seating areas, along with the needed addition of two sizable and tastefully appointed restrooms.

According to Director of Operations, Brandon Massnick, much of the original interior of The Stables was gutted except for the decision to keep the actual horse stables so people can still gather there.  “We wanted to retain the nostalgia but also update everything to contemporary standards and ambiance,” he explains.

“We’ll be opening the Cigar Bar in early December and that will be its own entity with a separate entrance from The Stables, he continues.

“People will take an elevator to get there so it will have kind of a Speakeasy atmosphere; plus, we can accommodate people who don’t like to be around smoke by keeping the two arms separate. We’ll offer plush seating, soft lighting, and a wide selection of premium cigars, hand-picked from the finest manufacturers in the world.  Additionally, we’ll offer a variety of pairing options, including fine wines, spirits, and craft beers.”

As for The Stables, in addition to the stage and in-house sound system, the service bar is considerably bigger, affording more room for the professional bartenders to produce high quality drinks faster, insofar as they have more space to work.

“We’ll be offering custom crafted cocktails and feature both a Martini and cocktail menu that is very unique,” continues Brandon. “We’ll be concocting high-end martinis and featuring nice liquors that people may not be able to get anywhere else in town.  Drinks such as our Flaming Marshmallow Martini will be served with plenty of flash.”

The Stables is also offering a regular food menu from 4 to 9 PM featuring appetizers and bites, along with a late night menu from 9 PM to midnight featuring charcuterie boards, pizzas, and bite-size items people can share.

“We have four stables and a fifth that is double the size that we’ll be using as a VIP area,” continues Brandon, “and The Stables will be open Thursday, Friday & Saturday with live music. Thursday will feature Live DJ Music with Oliver Dixon, who works with us quite often, and then on Friday & Saturday night we’ll feature full three to six-piece bands, and are already booked for the next couple months.”

With live bands performing from 8:00 PM - Midnight, so far the band line-up is as follows: Fri & Sat., Nov 29-30, The Sinclairs; Fri., Dec. 6, The Screaming Casanovas; Sat., Dec. 7, The Rock Show; Fri & Sat., Dec. 13-14, The Sinclairs; Fri., Dec. 20, The Road Dawgs; Sat., Dec. 21, The Screaming Casanovas.

“Between the lighting and overall ambiance of the renovation, our goal is to have people walk into The Stables and The Cigar Bar and make it feel like they’ve been transported to a big city like Chicago or Detroit,’ concludes Brandon.

The Stables will be open Thursday - Saturday from 4:00 PM - 1:00 AM and feature live entertainment from 8:00 PM - midnight and is located at 804 E. Midland St. as prt of the Liberty Harbor Event Center.

Find out more by visiting libertyharboreventcenter.com